The Mistletoe Admirer
by Midnight113
Summary: Gabriella hates Christmas. But when she starts receiving love letters and mistletoe from a secret admirer, she realizes he's doing a really good job at changing her mind. T&G Oneshot.


**The Mistletoe Admirer © Midnight113. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or have any affiliation to it.**

**Synopsis: **

**Gabriella hates Christmas. But when she starts receiving love letters and mistletoe from a secret admirer, she realizes he's doing a really good job at changing her mind. T&G Oneshot.**

**_A warning to all potential thieves, this work is copyright 2011 Midnight113._** **_The Mistletoe Admirer is completely the work and property of Midnight113, to reproduce under any other name is theft!_**

* * *

**The Mistletoe Admirer**

**"~*~"**

**"-"**

**'-'  
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"I hate Christmas." Gabriella Montez informed the occupants of the table, her voice dripping with disdain.

"So we've heard." Sharpay Evans, one of her friends, acknowledged as Taylor Mckessie, her other friend, sighed.

It was lunch time at East High School and the three friends were sitting together as always, currently discussing Christmas break that was fast approaching.

"I'm serious Shar, why should we all get the week off? I mean, we're just falling behind anyway." Gabriella argued.

"I swear you're the only person I know who would complain about a week off from this hell hole we call school." Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Gabs, just because you have a grudge against the holidays doesn't mean the rest of the world does you know? Now cheer up, you should be excited. We get a whole week off Gabriella. A whole week of freedom!" Taylor exclaimed happily.

"Well I'm not, Christmas is stupid and boring and a big waste of time and money. Besides, I've got tests to study for and college applications to think about. My future should be more important to this learning establishment than taking all this time off for nothing."

Sharpay and Taylor shared a similar look and shook their heads at the ridiculousness of their friend. "You're crazy Gabs." Sharpay announced.

"No I'm not, I'm making a point."

"Bad point." Taylor commented.

"Who asked you?" Gabriella shot her a glance.

"Well if it isn't Pinky and the Brains. What's with the cat fight?" Chad Danforth asked as he sauntered over, placing his foot up on one of the chairs and leaning his elbow against his knee.

"Buzz off Danforth." Sharpay hissed while taking a bite of her salad.

"Why should I Pinky?" He retorted. Gabriella and Taylor sighed, preparing themselves for the unavoidable bickering that was about to take place between the basketball captain and the president of the drama club.

"Sup, guys" Troy Bolton asked while placing his lunch tray down on the table and plopping himself into the seat next to Gabriella.

Troy had just transferred to East High for his senior year about three months ago from Arizona. On his very first day at East High, he had stumbled upon the rooftop garden at the school. Finding it to be the perfect place to study, Troy escaped there the next day but was surprised to find a girl there instead of just plants. After an embarrassing conversation that consisted of him commenting on how beautiful the flowers were, Troy and Gabriella had decided to share the rooftop. The two had clicked instantly and had been friends ever since.

Gabriella leaned over and whispered. "Good timing, Chad and Pay were about to start going at each other."

Troy smirked and nodded, whispering back to her quietly. "It's why I'm here." He looked up at the others and raised his voice. "So guys, what are we talking about?" He began conversationally, taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

Taylor quickly replied before Chad and Sharpay could. "Oh, we were just discussing Christmas break, weren't we Gabs?"

Gabriella leaned back from the table and folded her arms, releasing an unattractive snort. "You mean you guys were talking about break." She reminded them. "I was rebelling against the idea."

"Why would you do that?" Troy wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

"Because, Christmas is stupid! It's a waste of time, I hate it. I would much rather be here taking tests and preparing for college than at home trimming trees and wrapping gifts, singing songs of joy and cheer. There are more important things that need to be done." Gabriella fumed, causing Troy to raise his eyebrows in shock.

"Wow, that's a lot of anger towards such a happy occasion Gabi." Troy watched her curiously, trying to figure out why his new friend was so resenting of the holiday.

"I think Christmas is cool." Chad piped up from his spot at the table. "There's awesome gifts involved and lots of food, what more could a guy want?" He shrugged.

"I could think of a few things you could do with, a brain for instance." Sharpay spit out at him.

"Ouch Pinky, that hurt." He gripped his chest in mock pain.

"Good." She turned away from him and shoved another forkful of lettuce in her mouth.

"Christmas is not cool, it sucks. Why is everyone so insistent on liking this stupid holiday?" She asked no one in particular.

"Come on Gabriella, It's not that bad." Troy assured her.

"Yes it is! Troy, you're new here and I consider you to be one of my best friends. Why can't you at least be on my side?" She asked sadly and began picking up her books. "You know what, never mind. I'll see you guys later." She rose to her feet and headed out the large cafeteria door, not once looking back.

Troy watched her leave, still mystified by her behavior and apparent dislike for Christmas. He turned to her friends, noticing they both had gloomy expressions on their faces. "Anyone care to explain?" He asked them.

"Well…" Taylor began focusing her attention on her sandwich.

"It's not our place to reveal the exact details of what happened." Sharpay cut her off.

Chad scoffed and grabbed a fry off of Troy's plate, "Yeah, cause you know how to keep things to yourself." He ignored her seething look and turned to address Troy. "I don't have a problem telling you-ow!" Chad frowned, rubbing his arm where Sharpay had just slapped him.

"No you can't fool. All we'll say is, she had a pretty rotten Christmas last year." Sharpay admitted.

"Rotten how?" Troy questioned, looking at all three faces for answers.

"I don't know if she wants you to know Troy, it's personal and only for her to say." Taylor commented as the bell rang. "Uh oh, gotta go. See you later." She grabbed her books and jumped up from the table.

"Yippee, now I have to go do damage control in the theater." Sharpay mumbled as she got up.

"I'll come with you, I have a free period now so might as well make use of it by annoying the crap out of you while I can." Chad spoke cheekily as he followed her.

"Fuck me." Sharpay growled out as she dumped her garbage out.

"Not yet, but soon. I'm sure of it." Chad wiggled his eyebrows and trailed after her but not before grabbing the round, orange ball he'd left at his table. "Let's go Hoops." Chad motioned for Troy to follow them, using his new nickname.

Troy rose to his feet chuckling. He threw his garbage out and followed after them with a smile on his face. "You really enjoy pissing her off don't you?"

Chad shrugged. "It's a hobby."

* * *

The next day, Gabriella walked calmly to her locker trying desperately to not let the holiday spirit get on her last nerves. Everywhere she looked there were decorations hanging and music was playing. She couldn't even go though a fast food restaurant without someone wishing her a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. It was really starting to annoy the fuck out of her.

She grabbed her lock and spun the combination, flinging her locker open in anger. She watched curiously as a small envelope floated down past her eyes to the tile floor. It landed softly at her feet, face up with her name scrawled out in red marker across the front of it.

Quirking an eyebrow, Gabriella bent forward and picked up the envelope, studying it cautiously as she did. Turning it over, she ripped it open and pulled out a piece of paper that was tapped to some sort of green plant. She unfolded the note and read:

_Even if the sun refused to shine_

_Even if romance ran out of rhyme_

_You would still have my heart_

_Till the end of time_

"What's that?" Taylor asked from over her shoulder causing Gabriella to jump from her unexpected appearance.

"Don't do that Tay." She placed a hand on her chest and sighed.

"Sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "What's that you're holding?"

Gabriella looked down at the paper that was attached to the green leaf and shrugged. "I have no idea." She replied honestly.

"Let's see." Taylor put her hand out waiting for Gabriella to hand it to her. Taking the paper and plant in her hands, Taylor quickly read the note and furrowed her brow. "Oh wow."

"What?" Gabriella looked over the edge of the paper to get a better look.

"This, my friend, is a love letter. Complete with a romantic poem and everything." Taylor giggled.

"A love letter? Who the fuck would give me a love letter, I'm the most uninteresting person in this entire school. I have been for three years." Gabriella exclaimed, flinging her hands up in the air and hitting them against her jean clad thighs.

Sharpay walked up to them at that moment with a concerned look on her face. "What's going on now?"

"Gabriella got a love letter." Taylor spoke nonchalantly.

"Ooh, who's it from?" Sharpay asked excitingly. "Let me see Tay." She snatched the letter from Taylor and read it. "Aw… that is so cute."

Gabriella grabbed the note from Sharpay and scowled. "Focus Shar, this is not cute it's… it's wrong, that's what it is."

"What's wrong?" Troy asked as he and Chad stepped up beside them with basketballs in their hands. They were dressed in their Wildcat uniforms and obviously on their way to the gym for practice. Exactly one week after Troy started at East High, his father, the new coach, had him try out for a spot on the team. Troy had been captain of the basketball team at his last school and was very willing to be apart of the East High Wildcats. Chad of course welcomed him with open arms once he saw Troy's skills and befriended him just as fast.

"Gabriella got a love letter." Taylor informed them.

"What? Let me see!" Chad snatched the paper from Gabriella and read it, Troy tilting in to read it as well. "Wow, who would have thought someone would be interested in our resident bookworm?" Chad joked. "Ow! Will you quit doing that woman!" Sharpay smirked as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"Stop making her feel even more insecure then she already is you fool." She scolded.

"Sorry… Pinky." He said the last part under his breath with a grin, loving how it lit her face up in anger.

"Stop calling me that!" She huffed, stomping her foot for the hell of it.

"You know, I don't think I will. It suits you just fine." He smirked.

"I'm going to kill you Danforth."

"Guys, quit it. Gabriella's having a breakdown here and she needs out reassurance." Taylor cut in.

"Uh, I'm not having a breakdown Tay, just a freak out… there's a big difference." Gabriella pointed out.

"Yeah, sure there is." Sharpay commented.

"Wait, what's the little green plant?" Troy asked as Chad picked at the fern with small red berries attached.

"It's mistletoe… obviously." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "So romantic."

"No, not romantic. What the hell does it mean?" Gabriella stared at the object.

"It's a kiss in an envelope." Taylor realized.

"What?" Sharpay and Gabriella both asked at the same time.

"According to Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom may be of Scandinavian origin. It was described as early as 1820 by Washington Irving-"

"Hey human dictionary, enough with the history lesson already." Chad waved his hand in her face to stop her from continuing with her ramble. Taylor frowned giving Chad a nasty glare at the nickname.

Gabriella sighed. "So basically, it's some sign of affection?"

"But by who?" Sharpay wondered.

Troy and Chad studied the paper again. "Don't know, it doesn't say." Troy informed them.

"Looks like you've got yourself a secret admirer Gabs. Congrats." Sharpay nudged her friend.

"Don't congratulate me Shar, this whole thing is ridiculous. What's this guy trying to prove anyway?" Gabriella lifted her hand up to her mouth and bit her nail nervously.

"Uh… maybe that he likes you?" Chad raised his eyebrow at the obvious answer.

"Good job Chad, but I think it's deeper than that." Taylor informed him.

"What, like a hidden agenda?" Troy asked Taylor.

"Exactly." She nodded, giving them all a sly smile. "Everybody knows how Gabriella feels about Christmas, why else would there be mistletoe in the note? It's a Christmas themed love letter."

"Interesting." Sharpay added.

"Very" Chad agreed.

"Will you all shut up!" Gabriella yelled, running a hand through her long curls. "Some weirdo is out there with some weird plan to woo me and you four are talking about it like it's homework. What is wrong with you people!"

"Whoa, take a chill pill Gabs. We're trying to help you figure it out." Chad gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and looked at the others for reassurance. "Right guys?"

Troy was the first to respond, "Of course." He came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her neck. "Don't worry about it Gabi, we'll figure this out. I promise." He gave her a charming smile and a wink that somehow made her relax in his embrace.

"Stupid Mistletoe." She mumbled through clenched teeth.

* * *

Later that same day, Gabriella was sitting down at her desk in English still upset about what had transpired earlier that morning. Placing her bag under her seat so it wouldn't get in her way, she examined the facts in her head. Who was this random guy with his stupid mistletoe agenda? She couldn't get it through her head; she kept analyzing her predicament, running it repeatedly over and over in her brain until she figured out his motive. She'd been going to East High for three years and she had maybe two dates in that time. Letting out a long sigh, Gabriella decided then and there that she would begin questioning her 'ex-daters' in hopes of solving who this mystery guy was.

"Hey Gabi." Troy took his seat behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Why the long face?" He asked. Troy only had two classes with her and this was one of them. After swapping their schedules the second day they met, she decided it would be best if they always sat near each other in class just in case she needed to borrow a pencil or something. At least, that's what she told herself. Secretly, she just liked having him around her. There was something about those bright blue eyes that made her smile, even when she was pissed off about some freaky admirer.

"Why do you think?" She sighed.

"Still no luck with mistletoe man?" Troy smiled sadly.

"It's already two in the afternoon and I still haven't figured out who the weirdo is that left me that message in my locker." She shook her head. "I'm going to ask a couple of the guys I dated last year and see if it's one of them." She turned herself around so she could get a better view of Troy who was suddenly straightening up quickly from his leaning position. "Do you want to help?"

Troy shrugged. "Sure, what do you want me to do?"

"Just hold them up against their lockers while I pummel the truth out of them. That should work." She nodded, turning to face forward when the teacher walked in.

Troy chuckled. "Yes, violence is the key."

"Don't mock an angry woman, Troy. Sometimes force is necessary to get what one wants." She smiled. "It's a good thing you moved here Bolton, I don't really have any other friends with the strength and power that you have. I'm sure with our combined forces; we can extract the facts out of them before the end of the day."

Troy's eyes widened in surprise. "Can't we start your little interrogation session tomorrow? That way you're rested and ready to do it properly."

"Hmm…" Gabriella lifted a finger to her chin and thought about it. He made an excellent point. Save the questioning for tomorrow. "Okay, I'll wait. But only until tomorrow. I want some answers and I'll get them."

"You're a very determined person Gabi, I'll give you that." Troy tapped his pencil across the wooden desk and grinned.

"Well this guy doesn't know who he's messing with. When I find out who he is, I'm gonna-"

"Kill him?" Troy supplied with a smirk. "What if it's a girl?" Troy asked.

Gabriella groaned from her seat and leaned her head back so she was looking up at the ceiling. "I don't think so, that was a guy's handwriting. I'm sure of it."

"If you say so." He smiled, twirling his pencil in his hands.

"That's an idea though, I can have the guys write down the poem and see if it matches up. That'll be Plan B if the pummeling doesn't work out." She informed him.

"Sounds good." Troy nodded.

* * *

When she got home from school, Gabriella walked through the quiet house in route to her bedroom. All the while ignoring the emptiness she felt whenever she got home from school. Sighing from the stress of the long day, she placed her book bag on her bed and dumped it out. She noticed a piece of paper that was flung in with the mess of folders and books and immediately scowled at the mistletoe taped to it. How the hell did that get there?

She grabbed the letter and read:

_If I could give you the stars_

_I'd gather them inside my heart_

_I'd wrap them in love_

_And brighten your day...with starlight_

Gabriella frowned. What was with this romantic crap? She wasn't use to dealing with this sort of attention and found herself more and more confused by it.

Picking up her cell phone, she quickly hit the speed dial for Taylor.

"_Hello?"_

"I got another one." She blurted out.

"_What? Gabriella?" _Taylor questioned her with confusion.

"Yes Taylor, I need your help. I'm freaking out here." Gabriella began pacing.

"_Again?" _She listened as Taylor sighed.

"Shut up, I think I'm entitled to a little freak out now and then." Gabriella scolded.

"_Alright, alright… what's the problem?"_

"I got another letter from the stupid mistletoe secret admirer guy."

"_Wow, say that ten times fast."_

"Taylor! This is not a joke; I'm seriously having a mental breakdown here."

"_Okay, well… how did you get this one?"_

"It was in my book bag."

"_Whoa, weird."_

"I know! How the fuck did it get in there Tay? I mean, I have the thing locked in my locker most of the time and I sometimes carry it with me to class at the very end of the day so I don't have to go all the way back to my locker and make the extra trip." She continued ranting. "I never take my eyes off it for a second so how the hell did this guy manage to get it in there? I don't understand-"

"_Gabriella… chill girl. Take a deep breath." _Taylor instructed. She listened as Gabriella stopped panting and inhaled a long moment before exhaling into the receiver.

"I'm sorry Tay, it's just I-"

"_I know." _

"And-"

"_I know." _She knew Taylor was nodding even though she couldn't see her. _"Don't let it bother you so much Gabs, we'll get to the bottom of this."_

Gabriella sighed and ran a hand through her hair, her eyes scanning the poem. "Thanks Tay, I don't know what I would do without you."

"_Lose your head of course." _She teased. _"So what's this one say?"_ She asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and read the words out loud so Taylor could hear them.

"_Aw. Now that is romantic." _Taylor sighed happily in her own dream world.

Gabriella smiled as she looked at the letters and then realized that's probably exactly what the jerk admirer wanted so she quickly bit her lip to stop the smile from forming. "Focus Tay."

"_Right, sorry. I assume there's mistletoe with the letter this time as well?" _

"Yup." Gabriella nodded.

"_This guy must really like you Gabs." _Gabriella could hear the smile in her voice.

"That's the weird thing here. I'm just the quiet little bookworm Tay, nobody notices me let alone writes me poems." Gabriella shook her head sadly. "I don't get it."

"_Well you better get it soon, this guy likes you a lot Gabriella and he's showing you in a romantic, thoughtful and let's face it… cute way. You should be ecstatic Gabs not worried and angry."_

"Taylor, I can't deal with this right now. I've got enough stuff on my mind plus it's that time of year and all I want to do is fall off the face of the earth. Not get courted by this mistletoe guy."

"_Maybe this will be good for you, help get your mind off things." _Taylor tried to soothe her friend with pointing out some positives about the situation.

Sighing as she plopped down on her bed, Gabriella lifted the green fern and twirled in through her fingers. "Maybe."

* * *

"Start talking Timmy or I'll-"

"It's not me, I swear!" Timmy, Gabriella's ex who she dated for one whole day last year put his hands up in defense as she cornered him into his locker. Troy watched from the sidelines with his hands in his pockets, an amused expression on his face.

"You sure about that?" She moved closer to him making a fist with her hand and lifting it up so he could see.

"Yes, I promise. I don't have any feelings for you at all." He spoke quickly, his voice wavering from his nerves of being backed up against his locker in the middle of the hallway and getting threatened by a girl.

"Okay, I'll believe you for now. But there's going to be a cross examination later." Timmy grabbed his books and scurried away from her. "Make sure to bring a pencil and paper with you!" She shouted after him and then turned to Troy. "Wipe that smirk off your face Bolton. This is serious business."

"Why am I even here? You obviously don't need me to fight your battles for you." He commented, following her down the hall.

"You're back up in case things get out of hand." She informed him.

"Wow, what a title. I'm honored." He placed a hand over his heart and sent her a charming smile.

"You should be." She scoffed.

"So this guy left you another letter huh?" Troy buried his hands in his pockets as they walked down the hall.

"Yeah, it was in my bag Troy, how the hell did he pull that off?"

"Magic?" He teased.

She smacked his arm, arriving at her locker and twirling her combination. "This is no time for sarcasm Troy, Christmas break starts in two days and I'll be damned if I go a whole week of vacation not knowing who's doing this." Gabriella pulled a book out from her locker that was in her way and held it out to Troy. "Here, hold this." She continued digging though her messy locker in search of her history book.

"You never did tell me why you hate Christmas so much Gabi. I know I've only been here for a few months but you can talk to me… if you want." Gabriella's hand froze at his words and then just as quickly regained its movement as she pulled out the books she needed for class.

"Thanks Troy but like I said, it's just plain, pure hatred for the holiday is all. Too much cheer and not enough focus on real life." She shrugged her shoulders as Troy got quiet. "Sorry to disappoint you but that's the truth." She turned around to face him.

Troy moved in front of her, squinted his eyes as he studied her face. It was almost as if he was trying to see through her. "You're lying."

She looked up at him, her face stoic. "What makes you say that?"

"I may be new but I'm pretty good at reading people Gabi, and you're like an open book to me."

"I told you it's a waste-"

"Of time, I know. But you didn't always feel that way did you Gabriella? I know you've only felt this way for the last year so what happened?" He questioned her, "What happened to that spark every kid gets when Christmas is mentioned?" His voice lowered considerably as Gabriella's face remained expressionless.

"It died."

She grabbed her book out of his hand and walked quickly away from him. Turning the corner of the hallway, Gabriella's face collided with a chest as she went flying backwards, her books falling to the tile floor.

"Whoa!" Ryan Evans put a hand out to steady her body before it landed on the floor with her books. "Sorry Gabriella, I didn't even see you there." He apologized. Ryan was Sharpay's twin brother and also co-president of the drama club. He hung out with the girls from time to time but really just kept to himself.

"It's cool, I know I'm really short." She joked, scrambling to pick up all her books before the bell rang and she was late for class.

"Here let me help you." Ryan bent down and began gathering up all her stuff. "I'm really sorry Gabs."

Giggling, she smiled up at him. "It's okay Ryan." He rose to his feet and offered her a hand up. "Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled shyly and looked at her books. "Ah, history." He shook his head. "My favorite subject."

"Yeah, well you're the only one that feels that way." She looked behind her, searching for the clock and cursed as the bell rang. "Shit, I'm late. That's the third time this week." She turned back to Ryan as he handed her books over. "See ya later."

"See ya." He waved sheepishly with a grin and continued on his way. Neither one of them noticed the blue eyes at the end of the hallway watching them.

* * *

Sitting at her desk Gabriella opened up her book and gasped at the little note that was stuck between the cover and the page. Once again, the note had a piece of mistletoe taped to it as Gabriella read:

_She walks in beauty, _

_Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; _

_And all that's best of dark and bright _

_Meet in her aspect and her eyes._

_P.S. Your smile is enchanting and always makes your eyes sparkle like the lights around a Christmas tree that twinkle across a dark room. In case you didn't know, the world would be a dreary place without you in it. Forever and Always, Your Mistletoe Admirer. _

Gabriella's lips curved up just a tad as she read the beautiful words describing her. She hated to admit it, but this guy had style. Then she realized something, he wrote to her. Not just a poem but actual words, so it wasn't just some mistake. This guy was doing it on purpose and he'd chosen her of all people. Not only that, but he'd also named himself the Mistletoe Admirer… how appropriate.

Just as she was in the midst of rereading the letter, Taylor and Sharpay sauntered through the door taking their seats on either side of her. "I hate history, it's soooo boring." Sharpay exclaimed while dropping her head dramatically against the desk.

"History is a very important subject Shar. Don't you want to know about how the world evolved into how it is today?"

"No, I just want to go shoe shopping. There's a sale at Penny's today, thirty percent off. That's like, almost half!" Sharpay clapped her hands together as Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Unbelievable. Well, at least you've got math taken care of." Taylor laughed and then noticed Gabriella's quiet demeanor. "Oh no, what happened now?"

"He wrote to me. Actual words. not just a poem this time. Here, look." Gabriella held the letter up as Sharpay and Taylor leaned over her to read it together.

"Aw!" Sharpay smiled.

"Double aw." Taylor agreed.

"Stop saying 'aw'!" Gabriella yelled and was immediately scolded by the teacher as they waited for the rest of the class to pile in.

"Yeah Pinky, stop saying 'aw'. You're upsetting your friend." Chad took his seat in front of her and turned his body so he was facing them. "How are things with the mistletoe dude?" Chad mocked earning a glare from Sharpay.

"Can it monkey breath, nobody asked you." Sharpay burned holes through his head with her eyes. Her response only made Chad chuckle.

Gabriella's eyes lit up. "Chad! Do you know who's doing this?" She leaned forward and gave him a stern look. "Think hard about how you answer." She warned him.

Chad just shrugged, spinning his basketball on his forefinger. "Sorry Gabs, no clue."

Gabriella pouted and leaned back in her seat, feeling that Chad was being honest with his reply. "Well that was helpful." She huffed.

Taylor placed a comforting hand on her arm and smiled. "There's still a whole day to figure it out Gabi, plenty of time." She reassured her friend.

Gabriella smiled sadly and nodded.

"In the meantime, reread that letter out loud for me so I can picture a big, strong, sexy man saying the words." Sharpay pretended to fan herself as she spoke.

"Oh yuck." Chad turned in his seat missing Sharpay's tongue shooting out at him.

* * *

It was finally the day before break and the afternoon had been very eventful to say the least. During lunch, Gabriella couldn't stop thinking about how cute Troy looked as he drank his soda and ate his mashed potatoes. He'd gotten some stuck on his upper lip and before she knew it, Gabriella was leaning over and wiping it away for him. The gesture surprised both of them but Chad broke the tension when he made some comment about her being Troy's slave.

Gabriella had felt mortified and immediately sprang up from the lunch table telling everyone she had to go get something from her locker. On her way through the halls, she mentally slapped herself for having lost control of her hands. What was she thinking? That was an obvious sign of something a girlfriend would do but Troy wasn't her boyfriend, he was her friend. Her best guy friend and plus, she had other issues to deal with. Like the Mistletoe Admirer.

So now here she was, on her way to her locker. When she turned the corner to the hallway however, she saw something she wasn't expecting. Someone was standing in front of her locker, shoving a familiar looking letter through the top.

"Hey!" Gabriella shouted getting the person's attention.

Jason Cross froze like a deer caught in headlights and then before she could blink, he turned and ran.

"Get back here!" She chased after him, pursuing him down the stairwell, skidding across the slippery floor. "Stop!" She shouted.

"Whoa!" Chad yelled as Jason collided with him and Troy in the hallway. Chad grabbed Jason by the arm to stop him as Troy watched Gabriella come to a halt in front of them, panting from her body's exertion.

"I need… to stop skipping… gym." She spoke between breaths.

"What the hell is going on, why are you running?" Chad asked Jason.

"I caught him putting a note in my locker, he's mistletoe boy!" She pointed at Jason once she had regained her breath.

Troy turned his head and stared at Jason with wide eyes. "What?" He whispered.

"It's not me." Jason cried.

"What the fuck do you mean, I saw you!" Gabriella lunged forward towards Jason but Chad pulled him away from her.

"Be cool Gabs, he's one of our most valuable players on the court. I can't let you claw his eyes out…" Chad informed her then tuned to Jason and added, "Yet."

"Oh yes you can!" She leaped again but Troy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.

"Calm down Gabi." He whispered against her ear, the action immediately soothing her.

"Explain yourself Cross." Chad asked nicely "Or I will let her kill you."

"It wasn't me, I mean it was me but it wasn't me at the same time." He stuttered out.

"Huh?" Troy asked confused, his look mimicking Gabriella and Chad's.

Jason's eyes scanned each of their faces, his eyes lingering a little too long on Troy's Gabriella noticed.

"I uh… um-"

"Spit it out man!" Chad shook him a little for effect.

"This guy, he came up to me and asked me to put in in your locker." Jason confessed.

"What? Why?" Gabriella furrowed her brow.

"He said he was too busy and didn't have time so he asked me to do it."

"And what did you get out of it?" Chad asked.

"He gave me his Coke man; you know I have a thing for soda." Jason reminded him.

Chad thought about it for a moment and then quirked his eyebrow. "That is true." He nodded.

"What did he look like?" Gabriella demanded, watching Jason's eyes flicker over the hallway and then back at them.

"Uh… I can't say. He was wearing a hoodie; I couldn't see his face that well." Jason looked his shoulder at Chad. "Dude, could you lighten up on your grip. I didn't murder anybody."

Chad smiled sheepishly and released his friend. "Sorry man, I get carried away with these things." He shrugged.

"That's not good enough, I need more info." Gabriella fisted her palms until her nails were scaring into her skin. "Everybody here wears hoodies, I mean, look at you three. You've all got your Wildcat jerseys on." She pointed out. "What color was it?" She asked.

Jason looked around the hallway quickly and then let his eyes land on Gabriella's. "Uh… black." Gabriella scrunched her nose and nodded.

"You sure that's all you remember?" Gabriella leaned against Troy's chest as he rubbed her arms calmly from behind.

Jason frowned and nodded. "Sorry Gabriella, that's all I've got. Can I please go now? Zeke's waiting for me in the gym to play a little one on one." Jason looked around and when Chad nodded, he scurried off.

"Ugh, this sucks. I was so close!" Gabriella whined and then when she turned around to look at Troy she noticed Ryan walking with Kelsi and her best friend Martha. The only thing Gabriella noticed though, was the black hoodie that Ryan was sporting. She gently pushed Troy out of the way, her eyes shooting daggers towards Ryan as she approached him.

"Hey Gabriella." Kelsi smiled shyly as Ryan gripped her hand and smiled at her.

"Have you had any luck with that secret admirer yet?" Martha asked nicely with a bright smile.

"Actually, I think so. Seen any guys wearing a black hoodie lately?" She gave Ryan an evil look as the girls just stared confused at her.

"Uh… what?" Ryan asked confused.

"Just admit it Ryan, you're caught."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play with me, the love letter of course. Jason said-"

"Whoa, first off don't believe a thing Jason says. The guy can't even find the bathroom without getting lost and secondly, I'm not the one writing those letters Gabriella." Ryan put his hands up in defense.

Gabriella scowled. "If you're lying to me Ryan I'll make sure Sharpay gives you hell for the rest of your high school career."

Ryan let out a hearty laugh at that threat. "Oh well, then I've got nothing to worry about do I?"

Kelsi and Martha both shared a glance and then Martha added. "You can trust Ryan Gabs, why would he be writing you love letters when he just asked Kelsi out a few hours ago?"

Gabriella's eyes bulged out. "Oh… uh, sorry then." She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head, not noticing that Troy and Chad were still standing behind her talking amongst themselves. "I'll just be… uh yeah. That way." She pointed behind her and then started walking away embarrassed with herself. "Congrats guys!" She added over her shoulder.

Ryan chuckled. "Good luck finding him Gabs!"

Gabriella smiled and waved as she approached Troy and Chad. "Why didn't you guys stop me from making a fool of myself?" She scolded.

Chad just shrugged, moving his ball from one hand to the other. "Not our fault, besides, we didn't know Ryan finally grew a pair and asked Kelsi out."

Troy smiled sadly at the look of disappointment on Gabriella's face and reached out to take her hand. "Come on, let's go." She let him pull her along. "Catch ya later Chad." Troy yelled as they disappeared up the stairwell.

* * *

Troy lead her up to the rooftop garden, their hands still entwined. He sat down on the bench first and the then motioned for her to follow. "I think you're taking this secret admirer thing a little too seriously. I mean, poor Jason looked like he was going to cry." Troy joked as she sat down slowly next to him.

"I know, I'm sorry Troy. It's just so hard to believe. I've got to find out who this person is, I just have to."

"Why is it so important?" Troy asked quietly, his eyes focusing on the ground.

"Because, I've been here three years and nobody has ever shown interest in me. I don't want to be played Troy. I've been hurt enough in the past year. I don't think I can take anymore."

"What do you mean? Who hurt you?" Troy asked, his voice rising with an unknown emotion.

"That's not important right now; I've got two hours to set this guy straight before the bell rings. I don't want to go a week more without finding him and telling him to stop these insincere letters. I can't deal with this too, on top of everything else." She whispered. "It's too much."

Troy watched her with a sad look, his eyes studying her face intently. "What makes you think the letters aren't genuine? Maybe he's really speaking from the heart, why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because it just it, nobody pays attention to me Troy. Unless I threaten them." She mumbled. "I won't be made a fool of, not now."

Troy frowned. "Maybe he's new, that's why you're having trouble finding him."

Gabriella's eyes widened in realization. "That's it, that has to be it!" She turned to look at Troy, biting her lip as she did. "But who…?" Gabriella eyes narrowed in deep thought. She looked over at Troy and then like saucers, her brown eyes widened in shock. "Troy?"

Troy gave her a sad smile, the edge of his mouth barely turning up. She watched as his hand reached into his back pocket, pulling out a familiar looking note with a piece of mistletoe attached. "You didn't get my last one yet. It basically said something along the lines of, 'Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.' Troy rubbed his neck sheepishly with his other hand. "Uh… so here." He handed a dumbfounded Gabriella another note and then with a half-smile he rose to his feet and walked away, giving her one last glance before descending the stairwell as the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. She blinked back tears and read the note he handed her.

_I'll kiss those lips of wine_

_As you stand 'neath the mistletoe_

_My heart will follow you_

_Everywhere you go_

_Cheer up Gabi, Christmas should be a happy time. Don't let something in the past effect how you live right now. Forever yours, Mistletoe Admirer. _

Gabriella felt the wetness seep through her eyes, her vision becoming blurry. She hadn't cried in a long time, almost a whole year. So she sat there on the roof crying, several different emotions invading her as she looked out at Albuquerque's skyline. The feeling of dread passing over her as she considered that now, everything between her and Troy had changed.

* * *

It had been three days since Gabriella had found out that Troy was the Mistletoe Admirer. She hadn't seen him since that last day before break, and had been cursing herself for not having the courage to call him and talk about it. He was her friend and yet… he kept writing about love in these romantic poems. She was still in shock and when she told Taylor and Sharpay of Troy's revelation, they too were surprised.

"I can't believe he just let you go on freaking out about this mistletoe thing and this whole time he was the one doing it." She shook her head. "What a little jerk." Sharpay exclaimed as they sat in Gabriella's bedroom watching chick flicks and eating chocolate ice cream in their pajamas. "A sweet, romantic jerk but a jerk nonetheless!" Sharpay shoved a spoonful of dessert in her mouth.

"I feel awful." Gabriella frowned, stirring her spoon absentmindedly watching her ice cream melt.

"I think you should talk to him Gabs, it'll make you feel better. Do you really want to go through this weekend on bad terms with one of your friends?" Taylor asked as she ate her ice cream. Her spoon clinking against the ceramic bowl like a clock.

"No, I guess not." Gabriella sighed.

"You're happy it's him aren't you Gabriella?" Sharpay asked, her eyebrow quirking as she tilted her head to the side for a better view of her friend.

Gabriella slowly smiled, thinking about Troy. "Yeah." She admitted. "I am. Suddenly it all makes a lot more sense. Especially with how the letter got in my backpack and sneaked into my history book." She shook her head, replaying the past couple days in her mind. Why hadn't she seen it before? Troy was the only person who was always close enough to her to pull that off without her noticing. The little ass.

"Have you ever thought of him in the romantic way?"

"Well…" Gabriella blushed.

"Oh my God, you have!" Sharpay squealed.

"Of course I have, he's… he's Troy. Everything about him is so…" Gabriella trailed off as the girls sighed in agreement.

"Sounds like you're pretty taken with him Gabriella."

She shook her head in fear. "But we're friends, I don't want to ruin-"

"Too late, he's already smitten with you. You're just going to have to talk to him and see where it goes from there." Taylor informed her friend. "Now you can sit here and say 'what if' a million times or you could go talk to him and find out. What's it going to be?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella watched Sharpay smirk and nod in agreement. "Yeah Gabs, what's it gonna be?"

Biting her bottom lip, she hesitated before getting up off her bed and nodding. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"You go girl!" Taylor cheered her friend on.

"Are you guys going to be alright here by yourselves? I should be back in an hour depending on how well this goes." Gabriella mumbled the last part.

"We'll be fine, we have ice cream and 'The Notebook' to entertain us. Now go!" Sharpay shooed her away. Gabriella turned on her heel and grabbed her jacket, making sure she had one of Troy's letters in her pocket.

"I don't know what I'd do without you guys." Gabriella blew a kiss at them as she left the room, walking through the quiet, empty house on the way to her car.

Sharpay smiled. "Ah… feels good to know we helped doesn't it? I bet they get together and get married someday with little Bolton babies." Sharpay leaned back and placed her hands behind her head as she watched the screen.

"Yeah, I know. They're so cute together." Taylor waited a moment, staring down at her ice cream and then frowned. "Uh… Shar?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Gabriella just leave in her pajamas with Princess Jasmine plastered all over them?"

Sharpay's face remained smiling as she responded, "Don't ruin the moment Taylor."

"We're dead."

* * *

Gabriella stood with her arms crossed in front of the Hispanic style home looking up at the candles that were lit in the windows. The house screamed festive, with the beautiful green wreath hanging on the large front door and the ten foot Christmas tree she could see through the front window. Gabriella sighed, she'd left her Christmas tree sitting in the basement this year. A little part of her felt regret for not decorating the house, regardless of the fact that for the first time ever there was no one there to enjoy it besides her.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up the pathway to the steps. Cringing a little at the harsh cold air as it swept across her face. Hesitating, she reached forward to ring the doorbell and then stopped. Dropping her hand to the side she tried desperately to gather up the courage to face him. What was she going to say?

"It always helps if you actually press the doorbell, that way people on the inside can hear it and answer the door." Troy's mocking voice hummed over her body as she turned around, surprised to see him standing behind her with a grocery bag.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I live here, with my parents of course. What are you doing out here?" He asked, placing the bag on the front porch by her feet but remaining at the bottom of the steps so that they were about eye level with each other.

"I'm sorry, I'll leave." She moved to the side in an attempt to get by but he reached out and stopped her before she could go any further.

"Wait Gabi, why are you here?"

"It's not important." She shook her head and tried to pass him but he gripped her tighter.

"Yes it is, tell me." He coaxed lightly.

"Because… I liked getting those notes from you." She hid her face and then went to move by him again but he grabbed her arm gently and turned her.

"Why?" He asked breathlessly, still shocked to see her on his front porch.

"Because… I like how they make me feel. I haven't felt like that in a long time." She looked away from him shamefully.

"How? How do you feel?"

She rubbed a hand over her face and met his eyes, sighing. "Happy, I feel happy that someone cares enough to not only write me love letters but to also try and make me like Christmas again."

Troy just stared at her, trying to comprehend what she was telling him. "What happened that made you hate it?"

She took a deep breath, summoning all her courage to tell him her biggest weakness. "My mom died last December from cancer and I've seen my dad a total of four times in the last eleven months. He's always in D.C. working and he never calls." Gabriella's voice cracked a little from the emotions she was going through. "He just left me here alone and instead of being here he just buys me things and sends them. I got that car for my birthday in February." She motioned with her head towards the small vehicle. Troy didn't even bother looking at the car; he was too focused on her and the tears she was holding back.

"God I hate him, I hate him for using money to make up for lost time. I hate him for just leaving and not taking me with him and I hate that I'm going to be all alone for Christmas without either of them." A few tears started to escape from their ducts. "I'm so sick of this Troy, I hate feeling angry all the time. I just want things to be the way they use to be." Troy couldn't take it anymore; he pulled her into a tight embrace and squeezed her close to his chest. His hands rubbing her back as he spoke soothing words against her long, cascading black curls.

Gabriella sniffled, her hands fisting Troy's jacket as he hugged her tighter. After a minute, her quiet sobs subsided and she embarrassingly pulled away from him. Upset with herself for making such a scene, Gabriella gave him a weak smile. "Ugh, look at me, I must look like a wreck." She wiped at her eyes hoping her make-up wasn't running.

"You look beautiful."

Gabriella let out a strangled laugh and sniffled one again. "God, you're perfect." She half cried, half laughed. "Why is someone like you writing love poems to someone like me?" She asked as she brought the palm of her hand up to her face and wiped away the tear stains but Troy beat her to it, moving her hand out of the way as he cupped her face. The pads of his thumbs moving gently over her delicate cheek bones.

"Because meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control." Gabriella giggled despite herself and Troy smiled at the sound.

"What? You're saying you love me?" She smiled, new tear drops falling from her eyes but this time they were the result of happiness.

"I very well might, for I love that I love you. I have loved you from the very start. I love all of you. I now hand you the key to my heart." He recited perfectly with a grin.

Gabriella laughed. "Troy, what about our friendship? We're not going to ruin it are we?"

"Do you like me?" He asked her sincerely.

"Of course I do, you're one of my best friends and I'm so glad your dad got that job transfer because you've made everything so much easier for me this year."

Troy smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners from joy. "Good, I like you too. True love is falling in love with your best friend, and only then, will you find the meaning of happiness." He spoke like a wise seventeen year old high school student.

"Well that sums it all up pretty well doesn't it? Where do you get this stuff?" She smiled, loving the feeling of him caressing her face with his fingers.

"Mmm... internet." She grinned, giggling a little at his admission. "I would really like to kiss you now."

Gabriella's eye lids become hooded as she felt him lean in closer so that his hot breath was tickling her. Her eyes shot open before his lips descended on hers.

"Wait!" She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him away, ignoring his groan of protest.

"What are you doing?" He asked, watching her stick her hand in her coat pocket and pull out one of his letters. She ripped the taped mistletoe off of the paper and dangled it up high above their heads.

"I've always wanted to do this." She smirked, leaning in. Troy pulled her against him, their lips toughing softly in an innocent kiss, exploring each other for the first time. Gabriella smiled as he pulled away and then moved back in for one more kiss, which then turned into three more and each time Gabriella's heart sped up and fluttered against her chest, pounding in her ears as her blood raced. She knew her face was redder than Rudolph's nose and they smiled happily once their lips broke apart. Troy took the mistletoe she had in her hand and placed it behind her ear, moving a loose strand to the side so he could see her eyes better.

"I've wanted to do that for so long." He admitted sheepishly.

"Why didn't you say anything then?" Gabriella whispered afraid that talking any louder would ruin the moment between them.

"It just never felt like the right time."

She looked down, blushing for a moment and then spoke. "Well, I'm glad you decided now was the right time Mistletoe Admirer." She used his alias with a smirk.

"Oh no, you're going to call me that forever aren't you?" He asked.

"Of course not, only for as long as it amuses me. Which will probably be forever. Where did you get all that mistletoe anyway Troy?" She questioned him curiously.

"My mom's got loads in the house. Come on in, I'll show you." He tuned to open the door but Gabriella stopped him.

"Actually, I've got to get back home. I left Sharpay and Taylor in my house alone with chick flicks and ice cream and who knows what trouble they've gotten themselves into." She joked.

Troy nodded, taking her hands in his and squeezing them. "Okay, well… how about this then. Since you're dad is an asshole and could care less about what you're doing for Christmas, I insist you spend the holidays here with the Bolton's." Troy gave her a charming smile hoping to help persuade her.

"Troy, I don't want to impose on your family-"

"Mom loves you and so does Dad, I'll explain the situation discreetly to them. I'm sure they won't mind one bit." Gabriella bit her bottom lip anxiously. "Come on, Gabi. Please? Don't make me recite more poetry." He added. "I'll get down on my knees and beg if you don't agree." He began moving to kneel but she placed her hands on his chest to stop him.

"Okay, okay… you don't have to beg Troy. Jeez, I would love to spend Christmas with you and your family." Troy grinned triumphantly and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you!" He kissed her cheek and smiled wide until his eyes were dancing.

"No Troy, I think I should be the one thanking you for reminding me what Christmas is all about." Troy quietly nodded. "Now, I have to go. Suddenly I feel the urge to bring the decorations up from the basement. I think my mom would like that." She smiled sadly.

"I think she would too." He smiled, happy she was starting to feel the Christmas spirit again.

Gabriella leaned up to peck him on the lips real quick and then jumped down off the porch walking away. "I'll talk to you later Troy."

"Bye." He waited, watching her walk back to her car and smirked. "Hey Gabi!" She turned to look at him before getting in her car.

"What!" She yelled.

Troy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Nice Pajamas!"

Gabriella looked down at herself and screamed. "I'm going to kill them!"

* * *

**A/N: Nothing like some much needed cheesy fluff in the midst of all that sad break-up news. Let's hope that doesn't last long, if it's even true. ;) I know this wasn't very Christmasy but that's because I'm working on something else that's more geared towards the holidays. Hopefully I can finish it in time for Christmas and keep up with my regular updates of Bookstore Hostility. That said, this was my longest oneshot ever so I hope you enjoyed it. If you want, let me know in a review. My apologies for any grammatical errors. Happy belated Birthday to Vanessa and just because... Zanessa Forever!**


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